Solar collectors are commonly mounted on legs secured to a roof or other supporting structure, for example as shown in the previously identified parent which also discloses a dome shaped light transmitting cover with a depending flange encircling an inverted heat pan so that fluid carrying tubes on the upper face of the pan are exposed to solar energy during relatively early and late daylight hours, and entry of foreign matter within the cover is effectively prevented.
A patent showing a solar collector of passing interest is U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,216, in which the collector is swingably mounted on the roof of a vehicle and has a dome shaped cover received within supporting flanges of a base rather than encircling the flanges.
Numerous skylight patents are of passing interest including U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,693,156, 2,918,023 and 3,665,661. A skylight patent of greater interest is U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,914, in which a roof mounted casing has a generally dome shaped cover with opaque depending flanges encircling the top of the casing, and further has a bottom flange which may serve as flashing, and a shoulder which has no supporting function in this patent.
The present invention, in brief, is directed to a factory coordinated solar collector including a casing which carries a heat pan and a light transmitting cover, the collector being substantially easier to install in the field and providing a sturdier and more efficient construction than conventional solar collectors. Field installation is simplified by provision of a continuous bottom flange on the casing for attachment to the roof or similar supporting structure, this flange further serving as a typical flashing for roofing. A continuous side wall of the casing is preferably solid and is provided with a support for the heat pan, with a light transmitting dome shaped cover having a depending flange which encircles the top of the casing, thus providing an installation which effectively prevents the ingress of wind and precipitation and other foreign matter within the cover and the casing.
The combination of the heat pan and cover is generally in keeping with the teaching of the parent wherein the heat pan is inverted and has a heat plate with an upper face carrying the typical tubes for a fluid to be heated by solar energy, and the cover having a continuous depending flange encircling the pan and extending upwardly about the tubes to facilitate solar energy reaching the tubes during relatively early and late daylight hours, and effectively prevents entry of wind and foreign matter.
In addition to typical insulation which may be provided along the bottom of the heat pan, the casing may also be insulated to further reduce heat loss during relatively cold weather.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and useful solar collector.
Another object is provision of a new and useful solar collector in which both the top and the bottom of the heat pan are effectively protected against wind and foreign matter such as precipitation by provision of a casing supporting the heat pan and receiving a generally dome shaped cover overlying the heat pan and having a continuous depending flange encircling the top of the casing.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.